The Sanskrit term Ayurveda translates to “knowledge of life”. The art and science of Ayurveda work to harmonize our internal and external worlds.

Ayurveda emphasizes good health and prevention and treatment of illness through lifestyle practices and the use of herbal remedies. Ayurvedic medicine is holistic, which means viewing the body and mind as a whole. Ayurveda not only treats a person’s physical complaints changes lifestyle maintain health.

According, the five elements of nature (space, air, fire, water, earth) combine in the body as three components (doshas) known as Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha. These doshas relate closely to the basic elements of nature and to specific functions of the body.

• Air and space represent Vatta: Vatta controls muscle and joint movement, breathing, and heartbeat. Vatta also controls anxiety, fear, pain, and functions of the nervous system.
• Fire and water represent Pitta: Pitta governs the emotions of anger, hate, and jealousy.
• Earth and water represent Kapha: The physical structure and immune system are governed by Kapha. Emotional responses controlled by coping include calmness, forgiveness, love, and greed.
• Shaping your lifestyle Finding harmony is the key, and ayurvedic doctors help patients do just that. They explain how to control activities that affect energy levels, including diet, exercise, work environment, the way we think, and what we feel. Humans, like their environment, exhibit specific characteristics of nature’s elements (air, space, fire, water, and earth), and doctors determine each person’s combination based on the three doshas or “types”.